The year ahead won’t be as golden for Minnesota workers as 2000 was, especially in rural areas, a recent survey said.

Tuesday, April 24, 2001

The year ahead won’t be as golden for Minnesota workers as 2000 was, especially in rural areas, a recent survey said.

Job growth is expected to continue in Minnesota, but at a slower pace, according to Minnesota Department of Economic Security 2001 job outlook survey.

Unemployment could drift upward by the end of the year, loosening the very tight Minnesota labor market. Growth in job opportunities will slow, with manufacturing and agriculture services’ slowdowns being only barely offset by increases in businesses services, communications, public utilities and retail trade, the survey said.

Overall, the state should end up with about 33,560 more jobs in this year than last year, but rural Minnesota will only see about half that growth, according to the survey.

So far, those predictions don’t seem to be panning out in Albert Lea, said Manpower Branch Manager Mary Hacker.

&uot;We haven’t seen the hit that everyone is talking about,&uot; Hacker said.

Manpower, a temporary employment agency, has seen a steady need for services, but that could be due to industry restructuring rather than job market stability, she said. Businesses could be using part-time or temporary help instead of permanent, full-time employees.

&uot;I don’t know if they are just trying to shuffle it back around,&uot; she said.

Colleges are responding to the anticipated shift toward service industry jobs by changing some curriculum, Hacker said.

&uot;I think that the colleges are really taking a hard look at what the needs are,&uot; she said.

&uot;The needs create the curriculum,&uot; she said.